Customs to improve direct port delivery

Nearly 46 % of container cargo coming to Chennai is cleared by direct port delivery (DPD) without full-fledged examination, Chief Commissioner of Customs M. Ajit Kumar said here on Friday. This DPD programme greatly benefits importers in saving time by allowing them to take the cargo at container terminals.

“The government wants us to improve it to 80 % by the end of this year. This will be quite challenging for us but we hope to achieve it,” he said. In a time release study, which was released during the event, he noted, the customs had taken 6.4 hours to process the import cargo at the sea side while in processing air cargo, the customs had taken only two hours. This study had to be carried out as part of the requirement of the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.

A mobile app for the Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) was also launched during the occasion. The AEO certification will help in quick customs clearances. In Chennai alone, they have issued 315 certificates and are processing 1,080 applications.